[WFRP] Hunters of Hexensnacht IC

[Kuma Da]

Magnus Holt

Magnus is a few steps away when the bailiff turns. The blood's pounding in his head, and it's too late to stop now. He raises his blade and brings it down in an arc.

[-Sentinel-]

Hans doubled over when Dimzad's staff hit him in the belly; without leaving the bailiff time to recover, Magnus slashed at him with his sword, opening a deep red gash in his shoulder.

"I said, help me!" Hans shrieked, panicking, at the guards on the walls. It turned out that, when things turned against him, the bailiff was a bit of a coward.

"Can't, sir," the crossbowman shouted back. "They're our lord's prey."

In desperation, Hans lashed out at Magnus with his mace.

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All-out attack, effective WS 58: (d100)[97]
Damage: (d10+4)[6]

His clumsy attack never came close to hitting the woodsman.

[DrK]

Kurt

Seeing how things were going Kurt, ever the opportunist, ran forward pulling his dented and rusty blade as he closed with the outnumbered Balif. "I ain't not stinking prey" he shouts as he hacks at the baliff.

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Moving in drawing his sword and then slash at the Bailiff
Attack (2d10)[10][2](12) d100=02 (WS 64 including the +30 for 3:1 outnumbered)
Location = 20 Damage (1d10+3)[5]

(just in case ulrics fury
Attack (2d10)[7][1](8) Damage (1d10+3)[13])

[Thragka]

Bernhard watched the ensuing chaos carefully, but made no move to join in - he'd be more likely to hit one of his newfound companions than the bailiff. Still, he kept his sling in hand, gripping it tight. It was as though its very presence calmed him a little -- his blood did not roar so loud in his ears as he considered what to do next.

[Kuma Da]

Magnus Holt

Magnus stumbles out of the way of the bailiff's swipe. It wasn't supposed to be going like this. Just a flash of a blade, and blood on the snow, and a body cooling.

It's one thing to lash out at your captor. It's another to kill a man while he's screaming.

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All out to hit: (1d100)[6] vs 31 +20%
Damage: (1d10)[6]+2

[-Sentinel-]

Magnus' sword slashed Hans' scalp open; a sheet of blood flooded the man's eyes. Half blinded, the bailiff was unable to defend himself when Dimzad's staff crashed down on his skull.

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+3 crit to the head: (d100)[71]

Knocked to the ground and dazed. All his tests are at -30% for the round. He must use the Stand action to regain his feet.

On his round, he'll only take the Stand action.

Hans fell heavily into the snow, soaking it with blood.

"Mercy," he sobbed, scrambling to his feet and dropping his mace.

[Thragka]

Bernhard saw Magnus hesitate as the hammer-blow dropped the bailiff to the earth. "He wants mercy, longlegs. But he won't get it from them inside. They'll be blood-frenzied, and he's already failed them.

"You brought him this far," he said softly, his expression barely readable save a fierce fire in his eyes, "so give him what mercy you can and we'll run."

[Dramiscius]

Only Sigmar can show you mercy heretic *as he drops his quarterstaff to the ground, pulling forth a large metal hammer, stepping onto the baliffs back and striking him over the head*

[-Sentinel-]

The Sigmarite's hammer caught Hans in the back, knocking him face down to the ground. The dazed bailiff spat out a mouthful of snow and raised a hand in protest, but did not find the strength to get to his feet again.

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Magnus and Kurt get a +30 bonus to hit: +20 for outnumbering and +10 for attacking a prone target. Make it an all-out attack and your bonus is now +50.

[DrK]

Kurt

Kurt snarls at the prone and damaged baliff spitting abuse at the downed man. MERCY! he shouts. I'll show you all the mercy that you'd be giving me!, With that he jams the sword straight down into Hans.

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Attack (1d100)[63] against 85
damage (1d10+3)[11]

[-Sentinel-]

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Yeouch. That's a +7 to the left arm.

(d100)[56]

The outlaw's mighty blow cut the bailiff's arm cleanly at the elbow with a crunch of bones. Pint after pint of blood gushed out, steaming, and stained the snow. Hans' scream became a gurgle; he was dead within moment.

A burst of laughter rang out from above. Kurt looked up and saw Sir Friedrich looking at them from a window on a tower.

"He was a loyal man, but overdue for retirement," chortled the vampire nobleman. "Oh my, this'll be an entertaining night, I think. If you people survive the hunt, I might have jobs for you."

[Dramiscius]

*digs around the corpse looking for anything useful, attempting to possibly salvage the armor from the body*

[Thragka]

"Time to go, I think," announced Bernhard, blanching at the vampire's sudden appearance. "We're wasting time here." He tries to catch the eye of at least some of the others and incline his head towards the woods behind them -- best to make what rudimentary plans they can away from the castle gate.

[-Sentinel-]

Dimzad pried off as much of the bailiff's leather armor as he could. The skullcap was more or less intact, but the blood-soaked jacket's left sleeve was too torn-up to offer much protection. The dead man also had a mace, a rusty dagger, a fur cloak, good boots, a pair of dice, a bottle of cheap spirits and a purse containing twelve shillings.

When the halfling inclined his head toward the woods, the crossbowman on the wall cleared his throat. "Horn," he reminded them with a pleasant smile, seemingly unfazed by the bailiff's death.

Sir Friedrich had already retreated out of sight.

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The leather jacket is usable, but will not protect its wearer's left arm.

I'll have the horn sounded as soon as the map is finished. Please bear with me for a day or two, I'm currently a bit busy. Meanwhile, you can discuss plans; no one is close enough to overhear if you keep your voice low.

[Dramiscius]

*pockets the shillings and dice then dons what's left of the leather armor and skullcap over his robes. Drapes himself in the cloak and gets on the boots.*

[Blaze]

Gord is somewhat relieved that none of the others were injured, more meat to track down for their captors. "Bold move lads, but we best be planning something for the night ahead. I'm Gord." He walks over to the group and says, "These lands are dangerous at night, we should stick together at least for the start, then maybe split off into a couple groups to split our trackers. What do you all think?"

[Dramiscius]

*looks over to gord* good idea, but I doubt splitting up much would be wise, perhaps a forward scout though if someone feels bold enough.

[Kuma Da]

Magnus Holt

Magnus turns away as the others butcher the bailiff. This isn't something he wants to see. Instead, he watches the snow under his feet. It speckles slowly as drops of blood run down his sword.

He's killed twice before, and it never gets any easier. He can feel the breath moving in and out of his body on automatic, and he's acutely aware of how tightly his hands have been gripping the hilt of his sword. Kneeling down, he wipes the flat of it through the snow. These movements are unpracticed; unsteady.

Put it aside, Magnus. Don't deal with it right now. You won't be safe for a while yet. He shudders, but then he straightens. The shakiness leaves his hands, and he returns the sword to its sheath.

When he turns around again, the priest is picking like a rat at the corpse. Magnus carefully ignores him. "When the horn blows," he pauses for a moment, steadying himself, "when the horn blows, I'm going to be heading south over the Owl. I know this country, and anyone who wants is welcome to come with me. I won't be stopping for stragglers, but it'll be harder to track us over the ice, and anyone who gets left behind can head west along the river towards Eulesfort, or northeast into the World's Edge."

[DrK]

Kurt

Kurt gives the body a savage kick smirking at the rapidly dying man. At Lord Freidreich's words Kurt does nothing but offer a time honoured gesture of abuse.

As the priest starts rifling through the body Kurt looks over at him, "You best be sharing those shilling priest. I don't donate that much to feed Sigmar's Holy Orders and the Reik brothels.

Sticking together sounds like a plan. You know these lands you say? Then I reckon I'll be following you"

[-Sentinel-]

When he turns around again, the priest is picking like a rat at the corpse. Magnus carefully ignores him. "When the horn blows," he pauses for a moment, steadying himself, "when the horn blows, I'm going to be heading south over the Owl. I know this country, and anyone who wants is welcome to come with me. I won't be stopping for stragglers, but it'll be harder to track us over the ice, and anyone who gets left behind can head west along the river towards Eulesfort, or northeast into the World's Edge."

"The river ain't frozen," replied Albrecht, a fur-clad young man armed with a shortbow. "An' there's no way the people of Eulesfurt will let us in. Our lord forbids it. I say, make a run for the lake."

[Dramiscius]

*grumbles* I'll worry more about the shillings once we're safe, they won't do us much good till we've eluded these beasts.

[Thragka]

"The river ain't frozen," replied Albrecht, a fur-clad young man armed with a shortbow. "An' there's no way the people of Eulesfurt will let us in. Our lord forbids it. I say, make a run for the lake."

Bernhard tched. "Feared as much, to be honest. It's the obvious move, to make for the Eulesfurt bridge. Too obvious. But if we get there, and get across, we'll have made ourselves a lot safer.

"Now I'm a fairly good ranger, and can probably head west easily enough, but we'e as well to consider the town. You local lads, what are our chances of gettin' in and over the bidge?"

[-Sentinel-]

"Now I'm a fairly good ranger, and can probably head west easily enough, but we'e as well to consider the town. You local lads, what are our chances of gettin' in and over the bridge?"

"Not good," said Albrecht mournfully. "The militiamen bar all the gates and let no one in. A few years ago, the sergeant's son got caught up in the hunt, but his own father had to refuse him 'cause his men would have revolted. The poor lad was still poundin' on the gate when Sir Friedrich got him." He pointed southwest. "There's another bridge across Owl River, downstream from Eulesfurt, but it's a good way west of here. And vampires can use bridges, just so y'know."

[Dramiscius]

And vampires can use bridges, just so y'know."

Dimzad - *looks over at Albrecht* well then we'll just have to get rid of the bridge now wont we?

[Thragka]

The halfling snorted. "Too much to ask Sir Fred won't stop us every chance he gets. I don't suppose there's anywhere the river's easy to ford? Or do Sir Fred's men go ruining the banks every month?"

[Kuma Da]

Magnus Holt

Magnus frowns, reconsidering. The temperature has shifted several degrees since he was captured. If the Owl's still flowing, it'll make for both a potential barrier against the undead, and the perfect ambush place. "I wouldn't trust the bridges. Von Carstein knows about them. He wouldn't give us such an easy out."

[Dramiscius]

And vampires can use bridges, just so y'know."

Dimzad - *looks over at Albrecht* well then we'll just have to get rid of the bridge now wont we?

[-Sentinel-]

Dimzad - *looks over at Albrecht* well then we'll just have to get rid of the bridge now wont we?

"I suppose we could try," said Albrecht dubiously. "Easier said than done though."

The halfling snorted. "Too much to ask Sir Fred won't stop us every chance he gets. I don't suppose there's anywhere the river's easy to ford? Or do Sir Fred's men go ruining the banks every month?"

"I don't know of any ford," admitted Albrecht. "You could swim, but the water's freezing."

[Kuma Da]

Magnus Holt

"We could simply go north. Assuming we can outrun them, we'll be in the World's Edge by dawn."

[Blaze]

Gord quickly interjects, "Well I assume our hunters will be using mounts and be able to out pace us, unless they go on foot do we have a decent chance of going for the bridge. I don't know if I want to risk that. Our best bet might be to cross the river so we wouldn't have to worry about vampires for a time. Only the creatures of the night, in which case as a group we can fight them off."

Taking a quick pause for the others to contemplate his words, Gord stands there thinking of other alternatives but none spring to mind. "Destroying the bridge will be too time consuming, if it's made of thick wood we will have a hard time cutting it down, and I don't see any other axes but mine. I say we follow the river north and cross it when we are hidden in the tree line." Sighing heavily, Gord begins to jump on the spot and move around his arms, Better limber up and keep warm, he says to himself.